The complaints about the voice acting mainly arise from overblown subtitle purists. There's nothing wrong with it. Yes, the voices are different, but it's not bad. Dynasty Warriors 3 was bad (and still managed many times to be silly and enjoyable as a result). There's nothing in Samurai Warriors 2 like that.

The thing is, the script and dialogue itself is much better in Samurai Warriors 2 than in any other Warriors game. For possibly the first time, the game will have you laughing at actual jokes, instead of just at a character being overblown or stupid. The extra time they took on the translation really shines through there. The game itself is fine, too. Many different stages, most of which are lengthy, aggressive AI on Hard Mode that will endlessly juggle you if you can, and that has finally learned ways around the traditional methods of exploiting it (endless juggles/attacking as they stand up/etc.).

Xiahou Mao -- True Hero of the Three Kingdoms!Pei Yuan Shao -- Sex Icon of the Three Kingdoms!SimRTK

Kongming's Prodigy wrote:Well I guess the question is whether these new voices fit the characters, and the argument around the net is that no, they don't.

Sure, they fit the characters. They fit the characters as they're portrayed in Samurai Warriors 2.

The voice that gets chosen the most to lambaste is Maeda Keiji's, and I know why. It's because he sounds like a surfer dude from California. Or a Ninja Turtle. People are shocked and dismayed at this. But the thing is, the voice fits his character. Maeda Keiji is not a badass warrior in the game, he's a very talented warrior who is incredibly laid-back and doesn't care about the wars. He just wants to enjoy himself. The voice fits him as a result. Takeda Shingen isn't an ambitious and ruthless warlord in the game, he's a warlord with a dry wit who takes the time to poke fun at the ninja assassins who attack his main camp without fail every battle.

Do they match up with the historical personalities? Probably not. But neither does Dynasty Warriors with Wei Yan, Sun Ce, Sima Yi, or whatever other character they have there. But as portrayed in the game, whether it's Maeda Keiji saying 'dude' or Takeda Shingen threatening to throw kittens at Honda Tadakatsu, it fits with their characterization.

Xiahou Mao -- True Hero of the Three Kingdoms!Pei Yuan Shao -- Sex Icon of the Three Kingdoms!SimRTK

Has anyone been succesful in unlocking Ranmaru Mori? I know how to, but damn, it's difficult. Well, I only just started, and no one is uber strong yet. If I don't get it first try, to I have to start from floor 1, or if I choose to start from 30, it will work?

“I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth, then I ask myself the same question.”

Ranmaru is pretty easy to unlock, really. Just a case of having a souped up character (in my case, a lvl 30+ Kotaro) and doing whats asked in the missions. I only had problems with Mitsuhide's 1st request, with the having to hide from the guard captains.

Anyway, it should work if you choose to start on a certain floor, I started on the 21st floor and went from there.

Kongming's Prodigy wrote:Well I guess the question is whether these new voices fit the characters, and the argument around the net is that no, they don't.

Sure, they fit the characters. They fit the characters as they're portrayed in Samurai Warriors 2.

The voice that gets chosen the most to lambaste is Maeda Keiji's, and I know why. It's because he sounds like a surfer dude from California. Or a Ninja Turtle. People are shocked and dismayed at this. But the thing is, the voice fits his character. Maeda Keiji is not a badass warrior in the game, he's a very talented warrior who is incredibly laid-back and doesn't care about the wars. He just wants to enjoy himself. The voice fits him as a result. Takeda Shingen isn't an ambitious and ruthless warlord in the game, he's a warlord with a dry wit who takes the time to poke fun at the ninja assassins who attack his main camp without fail every battle.

Well I guess the problem is that translation and voice direction undoubtedly shape a character's personality, and many of us are probably very used to the personalities within the Japanese version. Unfortunately, that's Koei USA's problem...to shape a character differently enough via regionization to warrant heavy flame across the fan community. You shouldn't blame the fans for liking the original stuff...it still is Koei's product, after all. Feels like a mini-version of the Sengoku Basara -> Devil Kings debacle.

I personality haven't tried SW2 yet, as I'm waiting for an opportunity to get back home from campus. I'm feeling semi-optimistic right now...but then again, my distaste for Koei USA has escalated quite drastically over the past couple months.

The thing is, even the Japanese version of Keiji is a laid-back easygoing guy. Just like in SW1. Have you ever seen him ride Matsukaze?

If people are used to the Japanese version, which implies that they've played it, then by all means get the Japanese version of the game. But for most of us on this forum from North America/Europe/etc. who don't speak Japanese, this is the version we get, and I don't see a problem with it. The localization was done very well. Conversations actually feel like real conversations. Jokes are actually funny. The angst-ridden characters are properly angst-ridden.

Xiahou Mao -- True Hero of the Three Kingdoms!Pei Yuan Shao -- Sex Icon of the Three Kingdoms!SimRTK

Andrew J wrote:Ranmaru is pretty easy to unlock, really. Just a case of having a souped up character (in my case, a lvl 30+ Kotaro) and doing whats asked in the missions. I only had problems with Mitsuhide's 1st request, with the having to hide from the guard captains.

Anyway, it should work if you choose to start on a certain floor, I started on the 21st floor and went from there.

Okay. On Ranmaru's final request...what stairs do I go up first? I can choose between 3, and the first time I did it wrong.

“I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth, then I ask myself the same question.”